Part 38 (1/2)

They heard the flush of the downstairs loo and Mickey stood up in readiness. 'Thanks, Greer.'

The three of them walked down the lane and through the dappled shade towards Tide Cove. Years ago it had belonged to a syndicate of lobster fishers, long since dead. Ever since, this had been Freddie and Hal's playground. This is where they learnt to fish for ba.s.s off the beach, sail a small dinghy, and now put down their own lobster pots from the Sand Castle, the little boat with the red wheelhouse that Jesse had bought for family fis.h.i.+ng trips.

Loveday saw Jesse and her heart sank. How was she going to get through this day?

'All aboard the Skylark,' called Jesse jauntily. Loveday stared at him with a frown. How was this man able to change from a snivelling wreck to playing happy families? 'Hurry up. The kids will have eaten everything.' He was up to his knees in the waves, his old pink canvas shorts wet on the hem. He was holding the rowing boat for the latecomers. 'Greer, did you bring my specs?' he asked.

'No. Why, haven't you got them?'

'I wouldn't ask you if I had them, would I?'

Greer looked at Loveday and raised her eyebrows in infuriation. 'Men.' Then she called back to Jesse. 'Have you checked the pocket of your smock?'

His smock was tied round his shoulders; as he undid the arms and swung it round to check the pouch, a pair of gla.s.ses slid out and splashed gently into the light surf. 'b.u.g.g.e.r,' he said and bent to retrieve them.

Loveday was feeling a sense of panic. 'Look, I'm really not feeling too good. Would you mind if I went home, only I think I'll be a terrible hindrance to you all.'

'What's the matter, love?' asked Mickey, all concern.

'Just a headache and a bit of flu maybe.'

Jesse had pulled the boat up and beached it. 'What's this? Not well, Loveday?'

'No. I'm so sorry.'

'You were fine on Friday.'

The memory of Friday and the car stopped on the moor came slicing through her brain.

'Friday?' said Greer.

Loveday answered hurriedly, 'I helped Jesse with that computer thing in Newlyn.'

'Oh, right.' Greer was already uninterested. 'Will you be ok to get yourself home?'

'I'll be fine. So sorry to be a party p.o.o.per.' She kissed Mickey, who held her tight and whispered, 'You sure you're all right? I don't mind coming home with you.'

'No, darlin'. Enjoy the day.'

'Don't I get a hug and a kiss for Father's Day, Love-day?' asked Jesse, smiling innocently, with his arms held wide.

'Yes, of course. ' She stepped forward and he surprised her by picking her up in a bear hug and lifting her off her feet. The smell of him made her want to kill him. He put her down. 'That's better. See you later. You'll be having lobster for your tea if we catch any.'

Freddie was already in the wheelhouse when the rest of the party boarded. 'Right little fishes,' he laughed, turning on the engine, 'we'm coming to get you.'

He turned the boat away from Tide Cove and pointed the nose to the horizon. 'Hang onto your hats!' He pushed the throttle forward and the st.u.r.dy boat roared through the smooth sea, while Jesse cracked open the beers.

Greer was lying in the bow, face in the suns.h.i.+ne, relaxed in the company of her boys, enjoying a rare moment of complete indolence. Jesse and Mickey were fast asleep. Freddie was at the wheel, manoeuvring the boat into a better position from which to drop the lobster pots. The regular chug of the motor was soporific. She thought she might just close her eyes for a moment.

A changed engine note crashed suddenly into her consciousness a strange and horrible sound that made her stomach lurch with fear. She leapt up, das.h.i.+ng to the stern. Freddie had stopped the boat and joined her; they shared a mutual glance of sick dread before they looked down towards the water.

It was Greer shouting for Jesse that woke Mickey.

'Jesse! Jesse! There's blood. Oh s.h.i.+t. Oh G.o.d. Freddie, get in the water, quick; hold his head up!'

Mickey sat up, immediately alert, and saw Greer hanging over the stern, clearly struggling to hold onto something. 'Jesse!' she screamed now in a shrill pitch that finally woke him. He and Mickey got to Greer within seconds of each other. As they too looked over the back of the boat, they saw Freddie, white faced and frightened, hanging onto the unmoving body of Hal.

'Hal!' Mickey was screaming now. 'What the f.u.c.k's happened? Hal!' His training on the lifeboat had given him the ability to a.s.sess a casualty with speed. Most of Hal's left side was submerged, but Freddie was keeping Hal's head and shoulders out of the water. Mickey could see a deep cut on the left shoulder and similar wounds to the left side of his chest.

'Pull him up!' Jesse somehow managed to lean as far over the boat as he could without falling in and got an arm around Hal's body.

'Push, Freddie,' Mickey ordered.

'I'm trying to,' Freddie sobbed. Slowly Hal's right side was lifted from the water and Freddie, with G.o.d-given strength, managed to get him to a height where Jesse and Mickey could take Hal's weight.

Then Mickey saw. 'His arm,' he cried in horror. 'His arm. Where's it gone?'

Loveday was waiting at the hospital as the air ambulance landed. Through the gla.s.s wall of the A&E department she saw several medics running with a trolley towards it. She turned to the policewoman who was waiting with her. 'Can I go to him?'

The constable took her hand but shook her head. 'He'll be in the building any minute.'

Loveday felt nothing. Her body was standing, but she was floating near the ceiling. She saw herself wide-eyed and numb. No tears. But she was clenching and unclenching her hands. At last the double doors were pushed open and the trolley carrying Hal went past her. She followed and listened. 'Young male. Aged twenty. Left arm severed by a boat propeller. Losing blood.'

'Loveday!' It was Mickey running towards her. 'I'm so sorry.' He was crying. 'I'm so sorry. I was asleep. He was swimming. I don't know how it happened.' He collapsed into her arms and she watched from the ceiling as she comforted him, still following the trolley carrying Hal. 'It's OK, Mickey. He's still with us. He's still with us.'

They were stopped from going into the emergency room. A handsome male nurse said, 'Please take a seat in the relatives' room. The doctor will come and tell you what's happening as soon as she's had a chance to a.s.sess your son's injuries.'

Loveday crashed back into her body with a jolt and sat down, but she couldn't stay seated for long. 'I must do something or go mad. Shall I find a cup of tea?'

'I don't want anything,' said Mickey, his head in his hands.

'I'll go,' said the policewoman.

'No,' Loveday insisted. 'I need to do something.'

She left the room, desperate to move around, burn the awful energy flooding her body.

In the corridor she met a woman in blue scrubs who asked, 'Mrs Chandler?'